This was stated by Provincial Minister for Prisons Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor, here on Thursday. The minister said that on the recommendations of Taskforce on Prison headed by Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, Rs 80 crore have been spent for the construction of five thousand toilets, waiting shades as well as expansion of interview sheds in all jails of the province. He further stated that on the recommendations of the Taskforce, at least one toilet has been provided to five prisoners.
The minister further disclosed that charpoys have been made available to all 749 women prisoners in all prisons allocated for female prisoners and milk as well as special diet is being provided to the young children who are living with them. Education is also being imparted to these children in the school of the staff colony of the jail, he added.
He said that the panel of the Taskforce has set a diet menu to provide quality food to the prisoners and they will be served chicken four times a week, beef two time a week while rice has been included in the menu.
The minister said that due to efforts of the Taskforce, arrangements have also been made for the payment of Kisas and Diyyat and other fines for those prisoners who could not afford to pay these fines and 300 prisoners have so far been released so far. He said that these prisoners were in jail due to non-payment of fine. Abdul Ghafoor said that on the recommendations of the Taskforce, Regional DIGs have been assigned the task of visiting jails in their respective area for checking food and other arrangements and they are submitting their reports regularly. He said that on the recommendation of the Taskforce, the record of jails is being computerised which will help in curbing crimes. Similarly, he said, on the recommendation of the Taskforce salaries of jail staff and officers have been doubled besides up-gradation of their posts. The minister further said that the Taskforce led by Hamza Shahbaz Sharif has made unprecedented reforms in a short period of time.